The Philadelphia Eagles pass defense was elite again in 2025, and the NFL world is learning what Eagles fans have known for years: that Cooper DeJean is elite.
The Eagles slot corner/safety earned more flowers, by landing at No. 10 on the ESPN-compiled list of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
DeJean, of course, burst on the season during his rookie campaign, 2024, when he helped the Eagles win Super Bowl LIX and finished fourth in NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
But DeJean earned first-team All-Pro honors in his second season, while mostly playing slot corner. But Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is going to move him primarily to safety this season.
Cooper DeJean is a Top-10 Cornerback, Even Though the Eagles are Playing him at Safety
DeJean was ranked as high as No. 3 on the list of best cornerbacks after failing to qualify for the list.
Yet, according to the list’s compiler, Jeremy Fowler, DeJean might have been higher on the list if he wasn’t potentially moving to safety to accommodate free-agent signee Riq Woolen.
“DeJean’s presence on the list was a hot topic because of his positional flexibility,” Fowler wrote. “Is he a safety or a cornerback? He played mostly slot corner last season, but the Eagles plan to play him as a safety in base coverage and a slot corner in sub-packages.”
Yet, Fowler cited an unidentified NFC coach, who ranked DeJean despite the confusion about his role.
“He holds his own at any position, on the inside or outside,” a veteran NFC coach told Fowler. “He’s a corner because of the way he plays. [The Eagles] play a lot of man, and he ain’t shying away from nothing. He has the range and speed to play outside all day, too. He’s a Swiss Army knife.”
Riq Woolen, Quinyon Mitchell Also Appeared on the Top-10 Best Corners List
The Eagles have finished top-10 in the league in pass defense in consecutive seasons and were eighth in the NFL in pass ‘D’ in 2025.
So the rich have gotten richer in 2026, with Woolen’s signing. The former Seattle Seahawks corner landed on the “others receiving votes” category on the top-10 best corners list.
Woolen shared the Seahawks team lead in passes deflected (12) during the regular season, while also finishing tied with Devon Witherspoon for the playoff lead (4). Witherspoon landed No. 4 on the list.
Yet, both Woolen and DeJean are looking up at Eagles lockdown cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. Mitchell landed sixth on top-10 list while ranking third among NFC all corners on the list.
“It’s only a matter of time before Mitchell cracks the top three,” Fowler wrote. “In just two seasons, Mitchell has worked his way into first-team All-Pro status with 29 pass deflections.”
Some may look at Mitchell’s numbers and wonder how he could be a top-5 corner in the league, since he does not yet have an interception in two seasons. Even though he had 17 passes deflected, while earning Pro Bowl honors, his failure to pick off passes is the only thing out of elite status.
“Well-rounded coverage game and very competitive against the opposing team’s No. 1,” an AFC executive said, according to Fowler. “Turnover production holds him back from the top of the group for me. Still an excellent player.”
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